Fencing border not only India or Myanmar’s call: Niki Sumi

January 31, 2024 16 Views No Comment

FMR is a Naga issue, Nagas must unite to deal practically with this’

Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 31

Gen (retired) Niki Sumi said that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the Indo-Myanmar is a Naga issue which must be dealt with by all Nagas. Sumi, who leads the NSCN-K (Niki) as President along with Starson Lamkang as Ato Kilonser, held that fencing the border or not is not only India or Myanmar’s call but includes the wish of the Nagas, too.

His comment comes in the backdrop of apprehension raked up by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent announcement for fencing the Indo-Myanmar border and ending the FMR. The FMR allows indigenous communities living along the international border, on both sides, visa-free movement upto 16 km inside the other country.

According to Sumi, Nagas lived without any external obstruction on both sides of the present day Indo-Myanmar border long before India and Myanmar existed as states and that no other entity, except the Nagas, can be allowed to decide. “FMR is a Naga issue. Nagas must unite to deal practically with this… How do they expect us to agree when they are trying to divide the Naga land?” he said. In the event, the proposed fencing goes ahead, he said that the Naga people has to act accordingly and as one.

Inflow of illicit drugs via the Indo-Myanmar has been cited as a reason, but he held that drugs come in via India’s western corridor as well, besides, the flowing of pharmaceuticals drugs into the north-eastern region. On the other hand, he held that there are people, who are already eyeing plum fencing contract works.

According to him, the issue of border fencing is not a new phenomenon. He credited the NSCN-K under the late SS Khaplang, and the Khiamniungan, for successfully opposing moves made in the past to fence the border, while most Nagas were the least concerned.

During the 1950s and 60s, he said that the regime extended upto 40 km on both sides, which was reduced to 16 km in 1968.

Starting from 2018, he held that the Government of India has been trying to fence the border and asked whether the GoI and the Nagaland state government is aware of the ground situation out there along the border.

On the Manipur Chief Minister, N Biren Singh’s demand for fencing the border, Sumi said that the Meiteis have no kinsfolk on the Myanmar side. Asked if the border fencing move is largely owed to the China factor, he responded that it could be likely so. He said that China is playing both ways, helping the military government as well as the PDF-led rebel forces.

On Naga political talks
The Naga political issue, he said, is afflicted not only by vested interests but also insincerity, with people not living up to the call for a purported one inclusive solution. According to him, the stand of the NSCN-K (Niki) has been that it will not support any political dialogue until and unless it is an inclusive one, in which representation of every Naga tribe has been accounted for.

He said that so long as there are tribal blocs and so long as the Naga issue is brought under one political banner, there will never be an inclusive solution. While stating that there is a Framework Agreement and an Agreed Position, he said, “Where is the solution? The answer lies in the people. The people have to make a decision.”